The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1887-02-10
END OF THE WEEK,
The Legislative Patriarchs Do a
Day of Classifying.
Plenty of Talk in Both Houses,
with Small Amount of Work
in Either.
Summary of What Was Done--Sins
of Omission Compared with
Sins of Commission.

/. is not in the heart of newspaper
man to criticise the legislature now il
session, for really there are too many
good men belonging to it, but the truth
must be told, that there is great deal OF
useless waste of words, and too little ap-
plication to sturdy business. The legis-
lature has been in session
now close upon one month
and all the bills of public import that
have been passed could be put in good
sized thimble Bye and bye, there will
be rush, and bills by the basketful will
be pushed TO the front. Then, If there is
any quarrel to follow. the newspaper man,
with hand on honest heart, can say to the
people of the state, "shake not your horny
handed fist at us; thou canst not say we
played in the poker game, or clinked
beer glasses with the men you sent here
to make laws"
The proposed amendment to the charter
Of the city of Galveston is Que of the i'm
portant matters of special legislation that
will come to the front in the near future.
Galveston is at present limited by her
charter to an indebtedness of S1,3O0,O00,
and she has climbed pretty close up to
the limit. But Galveston is expansive.
When that feature of her charter was
made Galveston was not as populOus as
she is to day. and was somewhat of close
corporation. The whole state paid her
tribute in the way of getting outlet to
ports beyond the sea. But times change
and states grow, no better illustration of
which can be presented than the present
4 4. 30. he al
the city of Galveston.
There is good deal of confusion on
this subject, and as Galveston is the ac-
knowledged chief entrepOt of the state,
the matter partakes somewhat of state
Importance. As the STATESMAN is in
formed the design of the amendments
proposed TO this charter is to remove the
restriction which now prevents increase
of debt but at the same time will leave
to the tax-paying voters the determine
ton of any proposition looking to such
increase. The progressive citizens of
Galveston want deep water, want sea
wall, want water works that will furnish
fresh water, want n good many other
things, and want the privilege of say
ing whether they shall vote the necessary
tax upon themselves. For this purpose
it is necessary that the charter of the city
be SO changed as to make the limit of in.
debtedness good deal more than it is
now. The legislature has or will have the
proposed amendments in hand and the
subject will receive considerable attention.
Galveston is just now well represented
here on this subject. Hon. George. p.
Finlay, city attorney; Capt. Charles Fowl
or, Col. w. IL. Sinclair, Mr.. j. s. Rodgers
ard Mr.. w. Il. Beers, are here to represent
the proposed amendments and to explain
them to the law makers. How many of
the other side, are or will be here is one
of those Gndoterminable matters that is
likely to be met with almost any time.
SENATE WOULD NOT CONCUR.
Here's pretty Low to dol" The sen
ate says the house shall not monkey with
its work; shall not attempt to give evil
denco of the fine Italian hand of some of
the old masters in the house in bills, etc,
which the senate, in the consciousness of
its intelligence and dignity, finally pass
upon. The difference started in this wise
the senate drew up and passed bill regu-
lating the descent OF property rs between
husband and wife; it was sent to the
house, which was asked, rs mere for
mality, to give its consent. The house,
however, with its usual fondness
for amendments, went through the bill and |
changed the language, for those fine old
masters of the English language, of whom |
here are several in the house, saw several |
lefects. Either they did not understand,
and wanted something within the BALI
wick of their intelligence, or else they
thought that they could discount the Ian
,uage coming from the senate. However
hat may be, they left their impress on
he bill when il was returned to the place
IF its birth, and its fathers would not
it in its new toggery. They
ent it out clothed to suit them
elves, and they did not want
my fooling with 1t. At any odds, when 1t
'ame into the senate it put pin in the
hair of one of the dignitied members,
or he jumped about four feet and half
N the air and said he was tired of this
frivolous conduct in the house, and he did
lot intend to put up with it, and he asked
he senate to stand on their dignity and
efuse to concur in the amendments, and
% they did, and when the message was
ent to the house an ill-disguised smoker
pread over the faces of some of the So
ons. Have they locked horns9 If so,
ook out for the splinters.